Vehemence
by Shadough
Summary: Vehemence: A deep emotion. A series of one-shots set in the Tacoverse.
1. Fiora AU

Fiora trailed behind Spottedfeather, fear painted in her fiery amber eyes. She panted slightly, still tired from her secret trip to the mountains. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked the tom.

"Do not be afraid, Lady of Flame. They will not harm you," the tom assured her.

"I don't know… Morninglight will probably be hostile towards me, still." She winced, remembering the day she had met the Clanners. Morninglight was definitely not her friend.

"Morninglight will not touch you so long as I am with you." Spottedfeather turned his head, his gaze full of love. "No one will lay a whisker on you. I promise."

"Thank you, Spottedfeather," she purred.

The tom sent one more smile before showing her the way into camp. She came in right behind the black-and-white tom, her ears flattening as she heard the whispers of other cats.

Fiora looked around and immediately noticed the golden pelt of Morninglight. It was easy to recognize since the she-cat was seething with anger. Her fur began to bristle when she saw the she-cat coming towards them.

"Just what do you think you're doing here, you filthy rogue?" demanded the she-cat.

"I, uh…" Fiora trailed off, and looked to Spottedfeather for help.

"She has requested an audience with Smokestar," Spottedfeather explained quickly. "I thought it to be acceptable."

"Of course it's not okay." Morninglight lowered her voice to where Fiora could barely hear her. "You know how Smokestar feels about rogues."

"Be that as it may, Fiora has sufficient right to see Smokestar. Now I am taking her there. Please excuse us." Spottedfeather walked away from his clanmate without another word, and Fiora followed silently.

The tom led her to a secluded den. _Must be Smokestar's, _she decided.

"Wait out here for just a moment. I will call you in." Spottedfeather disappeared into the den.

After what seemed like many moments, Spottedfeather finally called her in. She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

She almost flinched when she saw the leader. His eyes were blazing with fury, and he was littered with battle scars. "Hello, sir. I-"

"Skip the formalities. Tell me why you're here," demanded Smokestar.

This time, Fiora did flinch. "Well, yes, okay. I come here to ask that I join your Clan. I-"

"Why do you think I'd let you join our Clan, when rogues like you killed half of us?" Smokestar glared at the ginger she-cat. "We have no room here for the likes of a filthy rogue such as you."

Fiora flinched this time. "Sir, I-"

"No. I will hear none of this. Get out of my den, get out of my camp, and get off of my territory. I do not want to see you ever again. Leave. _Now._" Smokestar turned away, and Fiora stood there trembling.

"Smokestar, I will not allow you to send away Fiora." Spottedfeather spoke up suddenly.

"Why not? Do you mean to defy your leader? Just because you're a part of this Clan now doesn't mean you will be forever," growled the dark tom.

"Fiora is a queen." Those four words made her head swirl. Of course Spottedfeather knew. He was the father, after all.

Smokestar turned on Fiora once more, this time careful to eye her belly. The realization hit him, and his gaze softened, though not much. "We do not take all queens. Give me a better reason."

"The kits are mine, Smokestar. I will deny it no longer. I took a rogue as my mate, and I do not regret doing so." Spottedfeather was calm as he spoke, and Fiora admired that.

Smokestar eyed Fiora one last time before turning to Spottedfeather. "She may stay, but there are three conditions. One, she must take a Clan name. Two, you must train her in Clan ways. Three, you will be the one to take care of her in the nursery."

"I understand, sir. Fiora?" His eyes turned to the ginger rogue.

"O-of course. I understand," she stammered. "Thank you for letting me stay."

"Now leave," Smokestar meowed harshly.

Without another word, the two cats left the leader in his den. Spottedfeather led Fiora to a different den. It smelled of milk and she-cats.

"This is the nursery," he told her. "You'll be residing here until the kits are six moons."

Fiora peered inside. "Are there any kits in there?"

"No, but we currently have two queens, Pheasantflight and Iceflower. They seem pleasant, so do not be concerned." Spottedfeather gave her a small, awkward nuzzle. "You may get settled. I will check on you later."

"Thank you." Fiora licked his muzzle, and she could feel the tom trying to shy away from the touch. He was still getting used to it, she knew.

Fiora watched the tom walk away before entering the den. Two cats were asleep in the back. Trying not to make a sound, she headed to a nest that was far away from the she-cats and sat down.

The golden she-cat lifted her head groggily. "Who's there?" Her grey eyes caught sight of Fiora. "Oh, hey there. Who are you?"

"I-I'm Fiora," she meowed cautiously.

"Oh. Hi, Fiora, I'm Pheasantflight. This sleeping furball is Iceflower. Welcome to TacoClan." Pheasantflight shot Fiora a smile before resting her head once more and falling into a deep slumber.

Fiora smiled. _What a nice cat._

She heard a yowl from outside, and the golden she-cat leaped to her paws. "Clan meeting! Iceflower, wake up." Pheasantflight was prodding the white cat.

"I'm up, I'm up. Geez, Phes, it's just a meeting." Iceflower's gaze caught Fiora. "Who's that?"

Fiora smiled and her ears perked as she stepped outside of the nursery. She could see Smokestar and the cats gathered around him. She slid through the crowd and found Spottedfeather, who she stood next to with her pelt pressed against him.

"Cats of SmokeClan," began the leader. "Some of you may have noticed a newcomer amongst us. This she-cat is a queen who has come to us requesting that she join the Clan. I have agreed to-"

"Why should she join? She's just a filthy rogue," a cat spoke up. Fiora bristled. She knew who it was. "She attacked Flurrypelt and me during a patrol once," Morninglight said.

"Liar!" the ginger she-cat called out.

Morninglight bristled and turned towards Fiora. "Shut up you filthy rogue," she hissed.

"Make me," challenged Fiora, her fur standing on edge.

"_Silence_." It was Smokestar. "Morninglight, do not challenge my decisions. I have let her join for a reason. This she-cat is Spottedfeather's mate and it pregnant with his kits. I do not want to lose any more warriors than we already have. It was either she stays or he leaves."

Morninglight stayed silent, but it was obvious that she did not like this decision.

"As she is now a part of this Clan, it is custom that she takes on the name of a Clanner. I will be performing such a ceremony. Fiora, please step forward."

Fiora looked to Spottedfeather, who gave her a nudge forward. She nodded and stepped in to the front where she was seen by all cats.

She stood confidently as Smokestar performed the leader, and when it was over, she was no longer Fiora the rogue. She was Flametail, a queen of SmokeClan.

* * *

Flametail enjoyed her time in the nursery with Pheasantflight and Iceflower. The she-cats were nice to her despite her being an ex-rogue. Spottedfeather visited every day, and the two she-cats' mates, Whitewhisker and Eveningclaw, visited often. She was happy.

However, there came a time when her swollen belly began to hurt her, and she could feel ripples throughout her belly.

"Iceflower," Flametail spoke up with gritted teeth. "Go get Shadyleaf."

Iceflower looked at her with worry, but when she saw the look on the ginger queen's face, she hurried away.

The white she-cat soon came back with the small black she-cat, who had herbs in her mouth. "Time?"

"Time," Flametail said with a nod. A small yowl of pain escaped her jaws.

"Okay. Pheasantflight, go let Spottedfeather know. He'll want to be here. Iceflower, I'll need some help over here with the kits," instructed the medicine cat.

The golden queen quickly exited the den while the white queen crouched next to Flametail. The medicine cat passed Flametail a stick that she bit down on, screeching the entire time.

Spottedfeather joined the she-cats and Pheasantflight returned, which was good, because all four cats were needed.

When everything was over, there were four small kits curled against Flametail's belly. Shadyleaf gave Flametail one last herb before exiting the den, followed by Iceflower and Pheasantflight.

Flametail licked each kit affectionately. She looked to her mate, who was smiling.

"They need names," she commented quietly.

Spottedfeather crouched next to his mate. He nosed the tan tom-kit. "This one can be known as Dustkit."

"Perfect," she purred. She gave the ginger tom a lick. "This one can be Redkit."

"Beautiful name, love." He pointed to the ginger-and-white tom-kit. "This one shall be known as Firekit."

Fiora nodded her head as she licked the last one, the only she-cat of the litter, and the only one who looked like Spottedfeather. "This can be Splashkit." She looked to her mate for approval.

A flash of sorrow flashed in the green eyes of the tom, but it soon passed and he nodded. "Perfect, Lady of Flame."

By the end of that day, they were a family. Spottedfeather the father, Flametail the mother, and Dustkit, Redkit, Firekit, and Splashkit the kits.

* * *

Flametail watched the kits play. Dustkit had become the headstrong one, always picking on his siblings. Redkit was small and sensitive, constantly picked on for his wisp. Firekit was protective of Redkit, defending him to his last breath. Splashkit was kind and gentle. They were definitely a variety of personalities.

She loved them with all her heart, and as they pretended to hunt, Fiora couldn't help but remember spending her days hunting with their father. She smiled.

Pheasantflight and Iceflower had given birth to their kits, and all the kits were playing.

She watched as Dustkit pinned Fishkit, Pheasantflight's son. "Dustkit," she spoke up sternly. "Don't hurt him."

"I wasn't. We were just playing," complained Dustkit, crawling off of the golden tom-kit. "You're no fun."

Fishkit stuck his tiny tongue out at Dustkit and trotted to his mother. Pheasantflight shot Flametail a smile before licking the top of Fishkit's head.

Swiftkit, another one of the golden she-cat's kits, came running towards Dustkit. "I'm not scared!"

Dustkit gave a playful growl, than struck the she-kit with his paw. Swiftkit went flying and hit Pebblekit, her brother.

Flametail narrowed her eyes. "Dustkit, be nice. Pheasantflight's kits are much younger than you are."

"So? They're weak, and there is no room for weakness in the nursery." Dustkit shot the kits a nasty look.

Goosekit tumbled over to Dustkit. "It's just playing. It's not serious."

"Of course it's serious. Playing shapes us to be an apprentice which is how we become warriors," Dustkit told the tom-kit.

Goosekit frowned, and bounced away to his mother, Iceflower. "He's no fun," mumbled the small tom.

Flametail sighed. "Dustkit, how many times have I told you to play nice with the other kits?"

"A lot," mumbled the dusty tan kit.

"That's right, a lot," she said sternly. "What would your father say?"

"That he is very disappointed and expects better out of his kits." The black-and-white tom padded inside the den, his gaze set on Dustkit.

The tom-kit scampered away, obviously disappointed that his parents had ruined his fun.

Spottedfeather sighed before turning his gaze to Flametail. "How are you faring, Lady of Flame?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" A sly smile came to Flametail's face.

Redkit trotted over, a smile on his face. "Daddy!" he exclaimed. "Did ya bwing ush anyt'ing?

"Not this time," he told Redkit, giving him a lick on the ear. "I'll bring something later," he promised.

"Yay! Hear dat Shpwashkit? Daddy ish gonna bwing ush shomet'ing ratew." Redkit skipped away, jolly despite his speech impediment.

Flametail watched her son go to Splashkit. She frowned. "He'll never be able to speak right," she said sadly.

"No, he won't. He's still happy, though, and that's all that matters." Spottedfeather gave Flametail a small lick on the ear. "He has his family and friends."

"I know." Flametail looked up into her mate's loving gaze. "I know."

**AN: This takes place in the Tacoverse (TacoClan universe). It is an AU for if Fiora were to have joined TacoClan. Yup, yup.**

**If you don't understand what's wrong with Redkit, he was born with a speech problem, causing him to sound really weird. He was saying, "Daddy! Did you bring us anything?" then "Yay! Heat that Splashkit? Daddy is gonna bring us something later." My poor baby. ;-;**

**Merry **_(belated)_** Christmas, TacoClan. I love you guys.**


	2. Fiora Life

From the very beginning, I liked the heat. It could have been because of my thin fur, it could have been because I'm ginger, or it could have been because of my personality. Maybe it was because my name meant fire. Either way, I liked it to be hot.

My birth wasn't anything normal. The home that my mother, Scarlett, had lived in was on fire when she gave birth to me and my brothers, Scorch and Ember, both of whom looked like my father, Shark. Our owner, who I later learned was called Miss, and my mother died in the fire. My father had gotten me and my brothers out, and Mister, Miss's mate, took us in.

When I was able to start talking, my eyes had taken a fiery amber color, the same as my mother's. Both of my brothers had gotten my father's eyes, which were yellow. It was when we were at this age that our father told us he was leaving.

Protest after protest could not convince Shark to stay, so that night when we went to sleep, we woke up to find him gone.

Scorch took his leave the hardest. He was the smallest out of the three of us, and the most timid. He became depressed, and he refused to eat. He soon died.

Ember took our father's leave better than I did. He was back to normal life, taking care of his littermates. When he left, saying he had other things on mind, I wished for him to come back the most.

I lived alone with Mister after they all left me. I knew he enjoyed the company, but every time I saw his blue eyes, I knew Mister hated me with every last fiber of his being.

He didn't want me around, yet he still gave me a little blue collar with a little bell on it. I wore it proudly, hoping that Mister would like me better, but he didn't.

Then he started hitting me. It wasn't bad at first. He had only tapped me on the nose or pulled my tail. Then he started taking his paw and hitting me with all his might. It was the worst pain I'd ever felt. I was constantly bleeding from all the cuts and scrapes.

I hated life, and thought about suicide more than once. I tried to kill myself, but there was no way to do it. I had tried running away as well, but never succeeded.

At one point, Mister had come home and not beaten me. He picked me up, gave me a loving stroke, and put me into a cage. For a while I couldn't see, I could just feel the bumps from the road. When we finally stopped, I could see a large hill. Mister took me out of the cage and set me on the ground. I never saw him again.

The hill was large, and I was alone. I felt more lost than I'd ever been. The collar on my neck jingled as I searched for shelter.

Eventually a tom took me in. He never told me his name, just that he was a friend. I trusted him. He had reminded me of my father and brothers, mostly Scorch. He became like a father to me, and for a while, I was happy again.

The black tom managed to take off my collar. I didn't like it, but he said it was for my own protection. I hated the bareness on my neck. I felt naked. I felt like I wasn't me.

The black cat told me about the hill we resided on. It was called Griffin Hill. The hill was the greatest part, and that was where part of the name came from.

One morning I had woken up to find the black tom was gone, just like Shark when he left me. I wandered, alone once again, for what seemed like ages.

I found a den near a border that smelled of cats. The scent of cats was definitely of more than one, and they all generally smelled the same. I settled in the den and began my new life.

I never dared to cross the border whenever I went out. Whether it was to go hunting or just to go on a walk, I never crossed the border. Yet, curiosity always crossed my mind.

It wasn't until I ran in to three cats on the border than I found out what the border was for.

**AN: This is pretty much a summary of sorts of Fiora, a character of mine. This is Tacoverse, of course. I felt like I had to. She deserved it, 'cause Fiora is awesome.**


	3. Jericho

It all started and ended with the she-cat with the beautiful blue gaze. Nothing stood out about her but those sparkling eyes. Her fur was dirty white splattered with grey, her pelt was shaggy and covered in mud, and her body was littered in scars. She was nothing special, yet her eyes still caught his attention.

"Stay away from that freak," his sisters would tell him. "She's not good enough for you," his father would tell him. "She ugly," his brother would tell him. "I don't trust her," his mother would tell him. "She's too low class." "She's a hick." "She's not your type." "She has no family." "She's nothing special." "She's weird." "She's a freak."

Everytime he said something about her, his family would tell him something like that. They didn't like her, but only because of her appearance and how she grew up. Yet, he could not stay away from those blue eyes.

He found her on a cold winter morning, walking over the frozen river. Her stepped were soft, like feathers landing on the ground. It would be that morning that changed his life forever. He called out to her that morning, a simple greeting.

"Hello."

The she-cat stumbled for a moment, mud-splattered fur bristling. Her blue eyes flared with anger before turning soft once more. "'ey there, mister."

Immediately he could hear her accent. It was soft and smooth, yet held a certain gruffness that is normally heard in toms. "I-I've seen you around these parts quite a lot," he said, some-what nervous. "My name is Jericho. Yours?"

"Name's Izzy." The she-cat smiled. "I've seen ya 'roung these parts, too. You're a'part of that snooty family, ain't ya?"

"Yes, ma'am. Well... I wouldn't call them snooty. They're just strict," he explained.

"Whatever. Why don't ya come join me over here?" Izzy skipped around the ice, flying through the air like a bird.

"I-I suppose." Jericho took a hesitant step onto the icy river, before heading over to the leaping cat.

"Just be careful ya don't fall through the-"

Jericho didn't hear the rest of the sentence. With his luck, he fell through the ice and fell into the freezing cold river.

The river current was much faster than he thought it would have been. He was too weak to push against the freezing water. As the darkness cloesd around him, all he was aware of was a jaw clasped around his scruff.

He woke up around the afternoon, water still dripping from his brown pelt. His eyes opened to see the worried blue gaze of Izzy. "I'm glad you're awake. I thought ya wasn't ever gonna get up! I was real worried."

"Thanks," Jericho rasped, shooting the she-cat a smile. "Not many cats would be willing to risk their lives for me."

Izzy licked a white paw. After her swim in the river, her normally mud-covered fur was shining in the sunlight. "It ain't hard to swim in that river. I've been doing it ever since I can remember."

"Thank you, anyways, Miss Izzy. I appreciate you saving my life." After a few moments, when she did not speak, he cleared his throat. "I think you're fur is, uh, very pretty."

Izzy narrowed her blue eyes. "My fur ain't pretty. It's shaggy and too hard to keep clean. The mud ain't bothersome, so I'm fine with it."

"My family would never approve of my pelt being anything but the best. I'll have to admit, I'm jealous." Jericho grinned, and he heard a giggle from Izzy.

"Well that's mighty nice of you, Jer. You don't mind if I call ya Jer, do ya?"

Jericho shook his head. "It has a nice ring to it." He scrambled to his paws, water still dripping from his pelt. His eyes caught the sun, and widened. "I have to go now. My family will be worried." His gaze met Izzy's. "I can meet you here tomorrow, if you're okay with that?"

Izzy gave a crooked smile. "Sure thing. I'll see ya later, Jer." With that, the she-cat glided away.

Jericho smiled and turned. It was love at first sight, and he wasn't afraid to admit it.

For many moons, he met Izzy at the river. It went from ice to warm waters, full of fish. Izzy taught him to swim and fish. He couldn't be happier.

He kept the meetings a secret from his family. They thought he was just hunting, doing work for the family like he was meant to. They were the best moons of his life.

It was one warm summer evening that Jericho had finally decided to admit to Izzy how he felt. "Iz?"

"Yeah, Jer?" Izzy looked at him with her loving blue gaze.

"I've been meaning to tell you something for a very long time. I've felt like this for quite some time, but never have I had to courage to tell you. I-"

Izzy muffled the rest of his sentence with her tail and licked his muzzle. "Jer, I've known ya long 'nough to know that ya would've ruined this moment. Shut up. I love ya, too."

Jericho smiled, his grin having become as crooked as Izzy's, who was finally his mate.

They spent that night by the river, curled around each other.

Jericho was woken up the next morning by a claw raking down his face. He hissed, and immediately sprang to his paws. Izzy was gone, and there was his family, staring his down like a pack of dogs.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded his father.

"Of what?" Jericho asked innocently.

"You sister saw you and that _thing _together last night. We told you to stay away from her. She is no good," hissed his mother.

"I'm old enough to make my own life decisions!" yowled Jericho, anger boiling inside of him.

"Fine, make your own decision. You have two choices, break up with the _freak _or we kill her. The choice is yours." His father walked away from him, the rest of his family following.

Jericho just stood there, shock still written on his face. That was how Izzy found him, still staring at the spot where his father demanded he break up with his love.

"Jer? Jer, are ya okay?" Izzy asked.

"Iz... Iz, my love... My father demands that we break up or... or he'll kill you." He sighed. "But I won't let him!" he quickly added.

Izzy was dumbstruck, and he knew it. "I-I... We can't stay here. We'd be in too much danger. They wouldn't dare chase us, would they?"

"I'm not sure." It was true. He wasn't sure. His family was unpredictable. "We can try, and I promise no matter what happens, I'll keep you safe."

Izzy smiled. "I love ya," was all she said.

They ran from Jericho's family. He refused to let her die because of him. For moons they ran and ran, until finally they had to stop running. It was a cool autumn evening that Izzy made them stop.

"Izzy, why are we stopping? We need to keep going!" insisted the brown tom.

"Jer..." Her blue eyes bore deep into his green eyes. "We have to stop. I'm pregnant."

Jericho's jaw dropped. "Th-that's great! They wouldn't dare attack a pregnant she-cat! We'll be safe. We can stop running."

"A-are ya sure?" she asked, voice quivering. "I'm afraid."

"I love you Izzy, and I promise that I will never ever let them touch a single hair on your pelt." The brown tom licked her cheek. "I promise."

Her blue eyes were still strung with worry, but he knew that she trusted him. On their way they continued until they found an abandoned den, which they easily settled into. For moons they lived in that den, Jericho's family never on their minds. It was morning when Izzy let out a yowl of pain.

Jericho shot upwards, green eyes wide with worry. "Iz, what's wrong?"

"I'm kittin', Jer," she told him through clenched teeth. "It-it hurts, Jer. Make the pain stop."

"I-I…" He didn't know what to do. He's never had to deal with something like this before. "Just… Just push, Iz. Push, and it will all be okay."

Izzy nodded, her white-and-grey pelt shuddered from the spasms. Scream after scream, kit after kit, Jericho was there for her. He couched her along, muttering sweet nothings into his mate's ear. When it was done, there were three tiny kits against Izzy's belly.

Jericho gazed fondly at the three kits. Two toms and a she-kit. One of the toms was white, his tail and face splattered with patches of brown fur. The other tom was a pure grey color. The last kit, his sweet daughter, was a tortoiseshell, a mix of white, brown, and grey. He purred, and looked to Izzy with a crooked grin. "They're amazing, almost as beautiful as you."

Izzy smiled. "They'll be as brave as you," she told him, purring.

"Shall we name them?" Jericho asked her, eyes stuck on the kits sleeping bodies.

"Of course we should-"

"_Jericho_!"

His fur bristled, and he spun towards the den entrance, claws unsheathed. "Dad, get out of here! This is my life, and my choice!"

His father looked at him with blazing green eyes, growling. From over the tom's shoulder, Jericho could clearly see his mother, his sisters, and his brother. "Jericho, you have disgraced this family by having kits with this piece of trash. You are no longer a part of this family. You have two choices. One, you can come with us and forget about that freak forever or two, you can put up a fight and we'll _kill all of you_."

Jericho growled. "I am disgusted by all of you. I grew up learning that everyone is equal, no matter how they may look, act, or speak. Cats deserve chances. You never even gave Izzy a chance."

"She doesn't deserve a chance. She's _filth_," his mother hissed.

"She's my mate, and I will defend her to my last breath." With that, Jericho shot forward, meeting his younger brother, who had also charged forward. Claws flashed, and Jericho had ripped out his brother's throat.

He turned on his two sisters who were slashing at him. He shot forward towards one sister, grabbing her throat in his jaw and ripping away. He turned to his other sister with a flash, sending her flying with one hit. She landed, unmoving.

He winced as his mother pinned him to the ground, slashing at his face and belly. Jericho growled and pushed her off with all her strength, his mother flying into the air and hitting the ground with a loud thud. He ran at her and tore at her until she was nothing but a pile of flesh and fur.

He whirled around, blazing eyes searching for his father. He caught sight of him, and he charged blindly towards the tom. Jericho tackled him to the ground, and ripped at him with all his might. With each slash, his father let out a shriek of terror that felt like music to his ears. It wasn't until the screaming ceased that the brown tom stopped attacking his father.

Rage still filled the tabby, his fur splatted with the blood of his family. He was panting heavily. He never knew that he contained such strength, that he was such a killing machine. He felt disgusted.

Jericho turned to Izzy. "It's okay now. We'll never be hurt a-" He stopped abruptly, a look of horror struck across his face.

Izzy's white-and-grey pelt was covered in cuts and her throat was almost completely gone. She panted heavily, unable to lift her head. His three unnamed kits were bloody heaps, unmoving.

Jericho stepped forward slowly, his jaw hanging loosely. "Iz?"

"Jer, is that ya?" Izzy's blue eyes were glazed over, but they were looking at him.

"Yes, my love. It's me. Don't worry; you're going to be all right." Jericho crouched next to his mate and he licked her pelt furiously, trying to get rid of the blood.

"Jer…" As she stared up at him with those blue eyes, the last words to come out of her mouth were, "You promised." Then she was still.

"No. No, no, no, no, _no_. Izzy, wake up. You _have _to wake up. I want you- no, I _need_ you. I can't do this alone. I need you here, with me. I need you to be here. I can't lose everything.

"I love you, Izzy. I love you so much, and I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise. I promised you that you would be safe with me, and you weren't. You weren't safe, and I'm so sorry." Jericho dug his face into her fur.

"I promise you that I'll never take on another mate. I will never have interest for another she-cat for as long as I love. _I promise_." He gave her one more lick before dragging the dead bodies outside.

He buried his family, all of them. He wasted no time, however. In sight were mountains, near enough that is would take less than a moon to travel to, and he knew it. He sighed. "Goodbye Izzy, my love. Even though I leave you here, remember that I will always love you." With that, he took his leave.


End file.
